by Jemma Pearson There's no reason why you should sacrifice looks for functionality and fun. We show you how to create a contemporary kids room where your child can grow up in style.

Fantastic furniture

Choose furniture in durable, natural materials – timber is best. Simple pieces not necessarily designed for children, such as chairs, drawers, wardrobes and chests are fine in the kids’ room – cheap moulded plastic pieces in overbright colours will not do in a contemporary space. Keep the furniture simple and let the wall colours, toys and soft furnishings (which can be easily modified and changed) express the child’s likes and personality. Buy quality furniture your child can grow up.

Nap time

Bob the Builder, Spiderman, Dora and Barbie are great, but for a stylish contemporary kid’s room, stick to simpler styles and more muted colours in the soft furnishings. You like your bedroom to be a calming place to relax and sleep and kids are no different. Organic natural fibres are healthier and cleaner too and old-fashioned quilts and embroidered doona covers are great – there is a lot of choice out there for the style-conscious parent. Remember to layer with cushions and throw rugs – kids like a cosy bed as much as you do.

The smaller the child, the less hanging space you will need, so keep this in mind when planning the cupboard space

What’s in store?

A large cupboard or built-in where you can establish different levels of storage is probably all you will need in the room to pack things away. Inside the cupboard include drawers of various sizes, shelving and plenty of free space where you can put clear plastic boxes to arrange toys and shoes. The smaller the child, the less hanging space you will need, so keep this in mind when planning the cupboard space – most kids clothes can be folded into drawers, but a shoe hanger is a great idea. On a free wall, pop up a few simple shelves to show off photos, precious toys and knick-knacks.

For art’s sake

Keep the wall colour the one shade and add flourishes with wall decals and stickers. You can buy blackboard stickers shaped like animals and a range of other great decals such as large animals and trees, flowers and fairies which you can pop on the walls or the ceiling to add a bit of fun.

Keep it simple

Create some ambience with a large floor lamp in the corner and a smaller lamp on a shelf– a simple design will do. Night lights are also a good idea – you can buy varieties that plug into powerpoints and automatically light up when the sun goes down. Babies and young toddlers love mobiles. There are a range of inexpensive mobiles on the market – some made of paper or the lightest wood. They look beautiful, are inexpensive to buy and the movement can be soothing, especially for little babies. Just remember, for safety’s sake, keep them well out of reach. 

Play time

Wooden blocks, old-fashioned toy soldiers, wooden trains and metal cars, teddy bears and simple dolls are perennial favourite toys. When buying new toys for the contemporary child, think about the kinds of playthings that baby boomers grew up with – no plastic in this room, though you can make an exception for quality products like Lego. And keep the electronic toys out of the bedroom for as long as you can. When packing away, have one box for each type of toy – stuffed toys in one, Lego in the other, cars and trucks in a third. 

Read all about it

Kids accumulate plenty of books and while a bookshelf is great when you’re an adult, keeping books tidy on a shelf in your child’s room might be asking too much – just watch your toddler try to grab one book and the whole lot ends up on the floor. Keep books in a toy box, too.